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Football

10th May 2019

Swansea star close to being confirmed as Manchester United’s first summer signing

The fee is said to be in the region of £15 million

Darragh Murphy

It’s not quite the big name Manchester United fans had been hoping for but Daniel James could prove to be a shrewd piece of business by the Red Devils

United are close to agreeing a £15 million deal to sign the Swansea City winger, according to a report from Sky Sports News.

James is the subject of interest of several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, but United are expected to win the race for the Welsh international’s signature.

The Swansea youngster has enjoyed a successful season in the Championship, with five goals and eight assists to his name, and his pace will be a welcome addition to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

James, 21, almost moved to Leeds in January but the deal collapsed after the Swans pulled out at the last minute.

At United’s end-of-season awards ceremony on Thursday night, Solskjaer explained his summer plans and vowed to continue putting his faith in youth.

“There have been highs and lows but I’ve enjoyed it, it’s a great challenge,” Solskjaer said. “I’ve not gone to bed one night worrying about what’s gonna happen because I love coming in, the boys are fantastic.

“It’s a great challenge [to oversee the rebuild] but it’s a great responsibility as well, because this club is huge. The media and everyone’s criticising us as soon as they’ve got a chance. We’ve just got to stick together.

“We’ve been through difficult periods before but we’ve got to come through it as a team. But we’ve got to do it together. We’ve got to recruit smart, keep blooding the youngsters and we’ll be fine.”